This invention relates to devices for assisting in birth control and more particularly relates to a device for determining the time of ovulation by indicating temperature and body potential changes in the female subject through use of easily applied temperature and body potential probes, electronic circuitry and an indicating device.
Over the years, countless number of women, who have for various reasons abstained from the use of clinical and mechanical contraception, have found to their great dismay that natural fertility control practices such as the rhythm or cyclical methods for avoiding pregnancy, are inefficient and quite unreliable. The reason for this inefficiency and unreliability is caused by their being no fixed relationship between ovulation and menstruation, for either may exist without the other. Consequently, women practicing natural fertility control cannot be certain of avoiding an unwanted pregnancy through the abstention of intercourse, unless they known exactly when they are ovulating. The same inefficiency and unreliability exists for one who tries to conceive, but fails time and time again because the time of ovulation is poorly defined and therefore cannot be optimized. An urgent demand for this type of instrumentation has long been realized by those who known that the female productive cycle varies from woman to woman and that the only way for an individual to avoid pregnancy is to know her own particular time of ovulation.
Previously, oral or anal temperatures have been measured, however, these temperatures have not been sufficiently reliable. Voltage gradients have also been measured, however, the equipment has been very large and expensive.
It has been stated that "The development of a simple method of detecting accurately the time of ovulation in women, especially in advance, would warrant almost unlimited research effort." The basis for this statement being that in addition to the harmful side effects of most chemical or mechanical contraceptives, the practice based on rhythm methods or basal body temperatures have been found ineffective as a contraceptive method is no less than 30% of all women. All over the world, individuals, organizations and authorities are acutely concerned with the exploding population.
Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved device for determining the time of ovulation in a subject female.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is efficiently designed and easily operated to make it feasible for any woman to determine the time of her ovulation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for determining the time of ovulation which may be utilized for either contraceptive or fertility aid according to the needs of the subject female.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device which assists in contraception without producing the harmful side effects of most chemical or mechanical contraceptives.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which will assist in determining the exact time of ovulation thereby improving the reliability of the rhythm method of contraception.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a device for determining the time of ovulation which is relatively simple and foolproof yet can be mass produced and sold at economical prices so as to put the device in the reach of most women for home use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for determining the time of ovulation to assist in determining the period of fertility for females who desire to become pregnant.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a device for the determination of the time of ovulation including electronic circuitry to condition the signals and provide a readout device having the capability of indicating small changes in temperature and voltage gradient and a long term stability for home use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for determining the time of ovulation which is small, portable and convenient for home use.